BOURGES City of Nuits Lumière - City of art and history

From major buildings such as St. Etienne’s Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Palais Jacques Cœur, to more than 500 half-timbered houses and sumptuous 16th-century mansions, Bourges has preserved the traces of a long and rich history, tracing the contours of a city between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. All these treasures are revealed during the “Nuits Lumière” season, a tour enhanced by images, music and emotion…

Bourges Berry Tourisme Office
Postal address: Place Simone Veil 18000 Bourges
Telephone: 02 48 23 02 60
E-mail: contact@bourgesberrytourisme.com

Getting there

What you'll love

Bourges｜tourismeterritoires Du Cher 1 — ©Bourges｜Tourisme&Territoires du Cher|Tourisme&Territoires du Cher

Numerous themed guided tours (Saint-Etienne Cathedral, city center, marshes, etc.).

©Bourges, Maison Des Musées｜Route Jacques Cœur

A wide range of museums (Natural History Museum, Musée Estève, Maison des Musées, etc.).

Bourges Nuits Lumiere｜route Jacques Coeur — ©Bourges, Nuits Lumière｜Route Jacques Cœur

Magical Nuits Lumières from May to September

See all activities

PASS Privilège

Enjoy cumulative savings of over €95 on all PASS member and partner sites, so you can visit at a smart price!

Pass Privilège price in Bourges: €5 instead of €7 for a visit to the Cathedral and historic center, €5 instead of €7 for a visit to the marshes and €3.50 instead of €5.50 for a visit to the Natural History Museum.

Guided tours of Saint-Etienne Cathedral

Full price: €6
Reduced rate: 4€

Information: 1h visit, accompanied by a guide, meeting point in front of the Maison des Musées Place Étienne Dolet

Information and reservations: Bourges Tourist Office 02 48 23 02 60, Maison des Musées 02 48 57 82 45

Guided tours of Saint-Étienne Cathedral and the historic city center

Full price: €7
Reduced rate: €5

Reservations required on 02 48 23 02 60

Timetable of historical activities

Guided tour “The Cathedral from A to Z” (2h): Saturday April 19 and Monday April 21 at 3pm / Thursday May 29, Saturday June 7 and Monday June 9 at 3:30pm

Guided tour “The cathedral and its neighborhood” (1h30): July 12 to August 23 (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10h30 – except August 15)

Tour of the cathedral and historic center:
April: Saturday 12, Sunday 20 and Saturday 26 at 3pm
May: Thursday 1, Friday 2, Saturday 3, Thursday 8, Friday 9, Saturday 10, Saturday 17, Saturday 24, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 at 3.30pm
June: Sunday 8, Saturday 14, 21, 28 at 3.30pm. Please note: on Sunday 8, no tour of the cathedral interior.
July 5 to August 31: daily at 3.30pm
September: Saturdays 6, 13, 27 at 3pm
October/November: Saturdays 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 at 3pm

Guided tours of the Marshes

Full price: €7
Reduced rate: €5

Nature activities timetable

Tour of the Marais dans la ville (2h): July 12 to August 23, Saturdays at 6 p.m.

Meet at Avenue Marx Dormoy, Beauvoir bus stop – Reservations required on 02 48 23 02 60

Moonlight strolls

An unusual way to discover the historic center of Bourges by lantern light; a journey back in time, before LEDs and gaslights…

From July 12 to August 23, Saturdays at 10 p.m. for 1 hr 30 min.
Meet in front of Saint-Etienne Cathedral, at the top of Rue Porte Jaune

Les Nuits Lumière

With a free tour starting at dusk, Bourges is enveloped in a blue veil that transports you from one scenography to another. Les Nuits Lumière invites visitors to take a gentle stroll through the historic center of Bourges.

Free – At dusk for around 2 hours
May 3 to September 22: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays (May, June and September) and every evening (July and August).

The Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre (in the Bourges Tourist Office)

Free admission
Exhibition open during Bourges Tourist Office opening hours.

The House of Museums

Free admission
April 25 to June 30: Tuesday to Saturday 2-6pm
July 1 to November 1: Monday to Saturday 10am-12pm and
2pm-6pm
November 3 to January 3, 2026: Tuesday to Saturday 2pm-5.15pm
(annual closing days – 01/01, 01/05, 01/11, 25/12)

Hôtel Lallemant and Musée du Berry

Site temporarily closed for works

Musée Estève

Free admission from June 28 to August 2
Reopening of the Musée Estève after renovation work on June 28, 2025
Open every day except Monday
April-October: 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm
November-March: 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-5.15pm
(annual closing days – 01/01, 01/05, 01/11, 25/12)

Visits and workshops on the work of Maurice Estève: July-December

Natural History Museum

Full price without temporary exhibition: €4.50
Reduced rate without temporary exhibition for 6-18 year-olds: €3
Free admission for children under 6, school groups on self-guided tours, or under certain conditions.
Annual season ticket: €15

Open daily: 2pm-6pm (last admission at 5:15pm) except 01/01, 01/05, 01/11 and 25/12
During zone B school vacations: Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm

Practical info

Annual opening hours
Tourist Office Bourges Berry Tourisme opening hours
APRIL, MAY, JUNE, SEPTEMBER
Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm
Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 6pm
JULY AND AUGUST
Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm
Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 6pm
OCTOBER – MARCH
Monday, 2 pm to 6 pm
Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm
Closed Sundays and public holidays
Museum House opening times
(Annual closing days – January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25)
APRIL – JUNE
April 25 to June 30: Tuesday to Saturday 2 – 6 pm
JULY – NOVEMBER
July 1 to November 1: Monday to Saturday 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm
NOVEMBER – JANUARY
November 3 to January 3, 2026: Tuesday to Saturday 2pm-5.15pm
Opening Musée Estève
Reopening after renovation on June 28, 2025.
Open every day except Monday (annual closing days – January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25).
APRIL – OCTOBER
10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm
NOVEMBER – MARCH
10h-12h30 and 14h-17h15
Opening hours Natural History Museum
Open daily: 2pm-6pm (last admission at 5:15pm) except 01/01, 01/05, 01/11 and 25/12
During zone B school vacations: Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm and 2pm-6pm
Access and transport
A71 freeway, exit 7 – 2h15 south of Paris – 1h30 north of Clermont-Ferrand
Means of payment
Credit card, cash, cheques.
Host languages
At the Tourist Office, welcome visitors in French and English.
At the Maison des Musées, visitors are welcomed in French and English.
Reduced rates (on presentation of proof)
Route Jacques Cœur Privilege Pass
(click here to buy your Pass and benefit from reduced rates)
PMR accessibility
A tactile model of Bourges Cathedral is available in a chapel in the Cathedral for the visually impaired. This model is available on request.
Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (PRM-accessible exhibition): information by telephone on 02 48 65 35 34.
Maison des Musées: PRM access – information on 02 48 57 85 42
Contact us

Agenda

Photo gallery

©Bourges, Natural History Museum｜Beneste

Bourges, Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle｜Lydia Objective — ©Bourges, Natural History Museum｜Lydia Objectif Photographer

©Bourges, Musée du Berry｜Lydia Objectif Photographe

©Bourges｜Lydia Objectif Photographe|Picasa

Find out more about the location

Before exploring Bourges: the Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Centre

Located in the Tourist Office, the Centre d’interprétation de l’architecture et du patrimoine (Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center) offers a first glimpse of the town: urban development, rivers and marshes, housing and architectural heritage, both civil and religious, which are sometimes little-known… It is also the starting point for numerous guided tours under the Ville d’art et d’histoire (City of Art and History)label .

Place Simone Veil 18000 Bourges – 02 48 23 02 60

©Bourges, Architecture and Heritage Interpretation Center｜Bourges

City of Nuits Lumière – City of art and history

From major buildings such as Saint-Etienne’s Cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the Palais Jacques Cœur, to its 430 timber-framed houses and sumptuous 16th-century mansions, Bourges preserves the traces of a long and rich history, tracing the contours of a city between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

All these treasures are revealed during the “Nuits Lumière” season, a tour enhanced by images, music and emotion…

LIGHT NIGHTS

With a free tour starting at dusk, Bourges is wrapped in a blue veil, transporting you from one scenography to another.

Les Nuits Lumière invites visitors to take a gentle stroll through the historic center of Bourges.

Palais Jacques Coeur ｜route Jacques Coeur 20 — ©Palais Jacques Cœur ｜Route Jacques Cœur

Palais Jacques Coeur ｜route Jacques Coeur 19 — ©Palais Jacques Cœur ｜Route Jacques Cœur

THE MUSEUM HOUSE

The Maison des Musées accompanies the comprehensive restructuring of the city’s museums, currently underway.

Discover the richness of the collections and the year’s cultural program, the history and professions of the museums, the renovation project, not forgetting a store where you can find the museums’ flagship products.

Place Étienne-Dolet 18000 Bourges – 02 48 57 82 45 – maisondesmusees@ville-bourges.fr

Bourges Hotel Lallemant｜route Jacques Coeur — ©Bourges, Hotel Lallemant｜Route Jacques Cœur

THE LALLEMANT HOTEL

Site temporarily closed for renovation – Reopening scheduled for 2025.

The builders, the Lallemant brothers, held municipal and financial offices, and were closely associated with the artistic circles of their day.

Built around 1500, this mansion is an early example of the early French Renaissance.
The Hôtel Lallemant is built on the city’s Gallo-Roman rampart. This particular position explains the inclined passageway controlling all accesses: interior via the spiral staircase and exterior by connecting the upper courtyard (where the main entrance was located) and the lower courtyard (current visitor access). The high quality Renaissance decoration is concentrated around the bays and on the turrets of the upper courtyard: the finesse of this ornamentation suggests the work of an Italian artist. Inside, the oratory’s coffered ceiling is sculpted with exceptional emblematic motifs.

6 rue Bourbonnoux 18000 Bourges – 02 48 70 23 57

THE ESTÈVE MUSEUM

From June 28, 2025, the Musée Estève reopens its doors after two years of closure for renovation.

Come and discover the museum’s new scenography and services. The Musée Estève is a monographic museum dedicated to the work of painter Maurice Estève, opened in 1987 in the Hôtel des Échevins.

13 rue Edouard Branly 18000 Bourges – 02 48 24 75 38

THE MUSÉE DU BERRY

Site temporarily closed.

The Musée du Berry corresponds to the first museum in Bourges, founded in 1834 by Claude-Denis Mater, a magistrate and collector and friend of Balzac. The museum’s rooms were refurbished in the 1950s-1960s, with particular emphasis on the Gallo-Roman period. A room devoted to Ancient Egypt opened in 1986.

Another room now showcases works associated with Duke Jean de Berry (late 14th century) and a selection of Romanesque works little known to the public.

In 2014, four rooms on the second floor were refurbished to house “Œuvres dévoilées”, a collection of paintings showcasing the richness of the museum’s collections.

5 rue des Arènes 18000 Bourges – 02 48 57 81 15

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Over 2,000 m2 of permanent exhibitions dedicated to science and nature, and temporary exhibitions with workshops, lectures and meetings.
The museum is one of the key players in the development of projects planned for Bourges European Capital of Culture 2028. Keep up to date with the latest news from the museum.

Les Rives d’Auron (Parc des expositions) 18000 Bourges – 02 48 65 37 34 – museum-accueil@ville-bourges.fr

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